The present invention relates to a back cushion, and more particularly, to a back cushion or bed lounger including built in massage motors for providing the user with a massaging action to the back, an integrated reading lamp, and controls for the massaging action and the reading lamp.
Cushioned bed loungers are known in the art. Bed loungers normally include a back portion and armrests or elbow rests. The back portion may be contoured and may include a padded neck or headrest. Chair back massagers also are known in the art. One form of prior art back massager is in the form of a pad containing a mechanical massage arrangement powered by electricity. In use, a person places the massager against the back of a chair, automobile seat, or couch and then sits downs and leans back against the massaging device. Other configurations have the massaging elements built into the seat back, for example in a lounge chair or automobile seat. Such massagers include a back portion including a massaging element driven by an electric motor.
Tomlinson, U.S. Pat. No. 5,895,365 discloses a bed rest cushion for providing a vibrating massage including a back portion, having a contoured forward surface and a planar rear surface. The back portion includes a padded interior and a plurality of vibrating transducers disposed within the padded interior. The transducers have an electrical cord extending therefrom for coupling with an electric outlet. Armrests are pivotally coupled to the back portion and a control panel having multiple settings is in electrical communication with the vibrating transducers. A collapsible rectangular tray including L-shaped brackets may be secured to holes in one of the armrests and a light may be attached to the collapsible tray. The light has an electric cord for coupling with an electrical outlet on the control panel. Though no description of the contours of the cushion is given, there is nothing to indicate a lower back support which properly angles the user""s shoulders against the back portion or that a head or neck rest is provided, so that the user will be comfortable, e.g., while reading or watching television. The separate light fixture and separate electric cord to be plugged into the control panel is a clumsy and cumbersome configuration which cannot be used unless attached to the tray, and is poorly positioned for providing a suitable reading light.
The present invention provides a cushion with an anatomically positioned and contoured head rest, shoulder and lower back support, and built-in massage motors in the back support to provide massage action. The cushion includes an integrated over the shoulder reading lamp extending from the back of the cushion and a control panel including a power on-off switch and power setting switches for the massager, and a power on/off switch or rheostat or solid state light dimmer for the integrated lamp. The lamp may include a light source, including but not limited to an incandescent, fluorescent, neon, or light emitting diodes (LED) light source.
In an alternative embodiment, massage motors may be provided within a movable cushion which is detachably connected to the back portion by means, e.g., of an hook-and-loop type strip located on a tab extending from the moveable cushion and a retractable electric cord connection on the rear side of the moveable cushion plugs into the back portion of the cushion. In such embodiment, the moveable cushion contains massaging elements comprising a plurality of pulsating transducers arranged within the moveable cushion.
Independent touch sensitive button controls for setting the speed of the motor, the levels of the vibration of the massaging elements and for power, and for turning the light off and on and a rheostat control may be maintained beneath a thin flexible membrane mounted on upper or side surfaces of an armrest. Alternatively independent touch sensitive controls may be a touch switch control panel, mounted on the upper or side surface of an armrest. The thin membrane that covers the individual buttons prevents introduction of powders, fluids, oils or the like, into the switches while allowing independent setting of the controls. Other control button configurations are contemplated including individual molded buttons. Alternatively, the control panel may be connected to the cushion through a cord. In such case, the cushion may include a pocket for stowing the control panel, or the control panel may be releasably mounted to the cushion by hook-and-loop fasteners of the like.
In another alternative embodiment a cushion for supporting a person in a sitting position may be provided. The cushion having a back portion having a contoured forward surface and a generally planar rear surface separated by a padded interior and a light source for providing light for a user, the light source being mounted to the back portion by an arm.
In yet another alternative embodiment a massaging bed cushion for supporting a person in a sitting position may be provided. The bed cushion having a back portion comprising a contoured forward surface and a generally planar rear surface separated by a padded interior, a plurality of massage motors enclosed between the forward surface and the rear surface, and a light source mounted to the back portion for providing light for a user.